Improvement in elliptic springs for vehicles



R. HALLORAN.

Improvement in Elliptic iSprings, for Vehc-ies.

Pa tented Feb. 6,1872* WiWi-e J.; es.

.. NITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

RICHARD HALLORAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELLIPTIC SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,396, dated February6, 1872; antedated January 31, 1872.

RICHARD HALLoRAN.-SPECLFICAT10N.

l, RICHARD HALLORAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain Improvements in Elliptic Springs, of which thefollowing is a specification:

Nature cmd Object.

My invention relates to that class of springs in which the severalleaves are formed of sheet metal, or in which all portions of the leafmay be of the same thickness; and the object of this invention is,first, to compensate for the requisite taper of the several leaves fromthe center t0 the ends, as is necessary in a perfect spring not by taperin g the strips for the leaves as is commonly done, but by raising atapering rib along the center of each leaf' of such a degree in widthand heighth as to properly stiifen the leaf from the ends toward thecenter. A second important object is also accomplished by the raising ofsaid ribs in the several strips or leaves-viz., that of so stiffeningthe strips of sheet metals that a stiffer spring can be formed from agiven weight of metal than is required when the strips or leaves areleft flat.

Another important function also arises from such a construction -viz.,that the several leaves are held in proper position relatively to eachother, without the necessity of using studs orboltsthrough the leaves,which always weaken the spring.

Drawing.

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe spring as complete. Figs. 2 and 3 aresectional views. Fig. 4 is a top view. Fig. 5 is a plan of the sheetbefore the rst leaf is cut, but laid out ready for the dies, and showinghow the metal is economized in the making of such springs from thesheet, as willbe hereinafter explained.

It may be remarked here that I haveplanned and have in process ofconstruction a series of machines to form said springs bythe use ofdies, and which will be the subject-matter of another patent as soon asready. But for the present it is only necessary to say that one set ofdies punches the first leaf', as at A-A, Fig. 5, from the sheet formingthe lugs ready for bending;

after which the holes are punched for the pivot-bolts, as at b b,andthen another set of dies raisesthe rib C G, which must be of such ashape, both laterally and vertically, as to increase the stiffness ofthe leaf in just the proportion such stiffness would be increased werethe leaf properly forged and tapered to form a perfect spring-that is, agradually increasing taper from or near the ends of the leaf` toward thecenter both in width and heightand at the center said rib may be swelledto a circular form, but iiattened and not spherical or oval-shaped. Theneach successive leaf is made to coniform in a proper degree of sizeandshape to the rst leaf, so that one will iit snugly upon anotherthroughout the series, and when placed together will form a nut, as seenat Fig. 1, sections of which are seen at Figs. 2 and 3, and a top viewof which is shown at Fig. 4. Clamping-plates, as at P P, Figs. 1 and 4,are then placed on both sides of the series, and are held in positionpartly by their being made to conform to the shape of the rib at thecenter of the. spring, or so much of it as is underneath the plates, andpartly by the screw-bolts S S, which extend through the pairs of saidplates.

When the lugs are formed by the dies in punching the leaves from thesheet, it is evident that a great waste of metal would be caused weretheV strips for each leafl cut from the sheet before it were placedunder the dies; consequently to economize the metal as much as possibleI form said lugs half as long as the leaves are wide, so that the stripwhich is left between two leaves with lugs will form a shorterA leaf, aspartially indicated by the dotted lines d d.

After the holes are punched in the lugs and the ribs are formed, thelugs are then bent to a right angle with the face of the leaf as in thecommon form of such springs, and the two inner leaves are held togetherby screw-bolts or rivets through them, as at b b, Figs. 1 and 4. But thejoining of the ends, as at b b, may be greatly varied, as both the innertop and bottom leaves may be curled in the same direction, and onearound the other and fastened by a rivet and washer, thereby dispensingWith the lugs at Z1 b altogether, as in a reticity and resistance by atapering` rib7 as del cent patent granted to Wm. A. Sweet, ofSyrascribed, and for the purposes set forth. cuse7 New York; but RICHARDHALLORAN.

What I claim as my invention is- I claim an elliptic spring, made ofsheet Witnesses: meta-l, having the leaves of substantially the BOYDELIOT7 same thickness throughout7 but varied n elas- E. N. ELIOT.

